Government orders traffic study for problematic entry into Royal Darwin Hospital

THE NT government has ordered a traffic study into Royal Darwin Hospital’s problematic road entrance, months after a crash revealed a critical weakness

THE NT government has ordered a $38,000 traffic study into Royal Darwin Hospital’s (RDH) problematic road entrance, two months after a crash revealed a critical weakness.

The tender, worth $38,031 and awarded to Darwin based SJ Traffic Consulting, is to investigate options to improve access to RDH as a result of peak hour congestion at the Rocklands Drive intersection and only entry point to the hospital.

According to the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, the study will take 12 weeks and primarily look at traffic counts.

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It will also include a pre-feasibility study on possible improvements to the current access point and investigate the feasibility and location of an additional access point.

The final report is set to provide an indication of how much it will cost to deliver the recommended changes.

The possibility of an access point at the back of the hospital via Lyons has previously been floated.

Royal Darwin Hospital traffic jam after accident in front of hospital, Picture: SUPPLIED

It comes after the Australian Medical Association NT cried foul about the hospital’s only access to the hospital following a crash in December.

The car and motorcycle collision on Rocklands Drive blocked off the main entry for about 30 minutes, causing traffic chaos and stalling emergency vehicles and staff needing to access the RDH.

AMA NT president Robert Parker at the time said there were ambulances trapped in the traffic jam and fire engines trapped in the block.

Dr Parker said it was “bizarre” that the Northern Territory’s largest emergency department could be accessed by just one “fragile road”.

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He said after the incident the government had told him they would do something about the issue.

“We look forward to the result of the study and the government acting on the results of the study,” he said.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Eva Lawler said Casuarina MLA Lauren Moss had passed on community concern about road safety and accessibility at RDH.

“In response, the NT government is working with the City of Darwin to investigate access improvements to the hospital precinct for those needing medical care or visiting family and friends,” she said.